Greek myths and history
Greek history can be traced back over 40,000 years. No-one Knows when the myths were first invented. Many come from a time before writing and were passed on by word of mouth. It is probably the spoken tradition that helped them survive upheavals when writing was destroyed or forgotten. The Changing Myths Conquerors and peaceful settlers brought their own beliefs into Greece where they adopted or combined with the myths and gods that already existed, so they changed and developed over the centuries. They probably changed less once they were written down, but different versions of many myths survive. Main Periods in Ancient Greek History Below, you can read about the main periods in Ancient Greek history and what we know about myths at this time. Before 6000 BC:hunter-gatherers The area now known as Greece was inhabited at this time by wandering tribes hunting and living off what grew on the land. We do not know what Gods they believed in. 6000 - 2200 BC:Farmers When farming skills were developed, people started to settle in small communities and learnt how to make pots, weave and work metal. Clues to religious beliefs of this early civilization are found in objects such as this marble figure (shown right), found at Sparta, dating form this era. It is probably a fertility figure, as the richness of the earth for growing crops must have been very important to these farmers. 2200 - 1400 BC:The Minoans Greek society advanced and developed until about 2200 BC when invaders from the north disrupted the process. The island of Crete escaped invasion and a sophisticated civilization grew up, called Minoan after one of its kings, Minos. Many works of art survive, illustrating some aspects of religious life. Bulls often feature in Cretan myths and some of these were later adopted by the mainlanders into Mycenaean mythology. 1600 - 1200 BC:The Mycenaeans Gradually, the mainland recovered and started to developed again. It borrowed many ideas from the Minoans, and finally became more powerful than Crete. This civilization is called Mycenaean, after its major city, Mycenae. The historical events that inspired legends about human heroes like Jason took place during this period. The truth was exaggerated and embroidered to form legends, but there is archaeological evidence for some of the events. 1200 - 700 BC:The Dark Ages Between 1200 and 1050 BC the Mycenaean culture collapsed due to civil wars and more invasions from the north. The myths survived, passed on orally through the generations. The poet Homer lived at the end of the Dark Ages. He is said to have composed two great works about the ancient legends, called the Iliad and the Odyssey. They were not written down until much later, but the stories were already 500 years old when Homer was alive. Homer probably spoke his poems while playing the lyre. Greek schoolboys in later periods had to learn parts of his poetry by heart and every scholar quote him. 700 - 500 BC:The Archaic Period Between 700 and 500 BC Greece once again became rich in art, literature, science and commerce. Trade was established with many Mediterranean countries, a new form of writing was invented and coins were introduced for money. They experimented with government and social organizations but their religion was still based on ancient myths and legends, as can be seen from their art. 500 - 336 BC: The Classical Period This is probably best know of Ancient Greek history. We know a lot about how people lived at this time and our image of Ancient Greeks is probably most influenced by Classical art and literature. People lived in city-states, and much sea-faring and trading went on. Many plays based on myths were written during the Classical Period, and it is often the versions that have come down to us. 336 - 31 BC:The Hellenistic Period This era called the Hellenistic Period, after Helen, a legendary ancestor of the Greeks. The empire of Alexander the Great came within this period, and Greek culture spread across the Near and Middle East after his death in 323 BC. The decline of Greece in the last century before the birth of Christ, the Roman Empire expanded and became more powerful than Greece. The Romans were greatly influenced by the Greeks, though. They had their own gods but did not have such complex mythology. Gradually they linked the Greek stories to their own gods until both mythologies were almost the same.